Insidus: Entertainment Inside Us

Plans For Mindset Pop, People's Weather And Supa TV

Admist the pandemic, MultiChoice partnered up with Mindset to launch a second educational channel to help learners from Grade 4-9 catch-up to their schoolwork while Supabets launched its first linear channel exclusively on OpenView.

People's Weather went from being a 24 hour weather channel to an environmental and lifestyle channel.

Mindset POP has shown remarkable success introduction on DStv and Supa TV has helped viewers win some extra cash and also managed to grow the owner's brand.

According to both suppliers, they're looking into expanding the reach of these channels to more platforms meaning that more learners will get access to the educational material on Mindset POP and more viewers can engage with Supa TV since most of them don't have an OpenView.

People's Weather which was only on DStv has been added onto OpenView recently. If you want nature, documentaries and wildlife then this is your channel. There's even a chance it will pop-up on Starsat and StarTimes.

Mindset POP joins other current educational kids channels in the market such as Mindset, Baby TV, CBeebies, Nick Jr, Disney Junior, JimJam, Da Vinci Kids, PBS Kids, SABC Education, DBE TV, Zoomoo, CBeebies.

Supa TV joins Tellytrack as the only few betting channels within the market.

People's Weather is the only accessible channel within the market other channels like Curiosity Channel, National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, Da Vinci Kids, Wild Earth and Discovery Channel require you to pay monthly.

January 2021 On EVA | Repeats & More Repeats | Bold And The Beautiful

Throughout the year, Eva has been filled with repeats of past programs already seen on the channel to make it even worse the rest of Africa operate Eva+ which is full-blown reruns channel. They also offer a Portuguese version of the channel.

The only current program on the channel is the ongoing drama from CBS' Bold And The Beautiful.

To start of 2021, Eva will be airing a rerun of La Seleccion (Football Dreams) from January 20. The channel is up for renewal between February and March so I'd look at those months if it doesn't go off by then it could go off at some point.

Sony Channel and Sony Max were lurking around that corner for 2 years with the only relevant program being the popular game show The Amazing Race now that's on M-Net since Sony Pictures International no longer distribute these channels anywhere in Africa.

Even FOX Life joined these set of channels from 2016 up until April 2020 where they introduced 4 new telenovelas which took Africa by storm while rehashing old reality shows and that Cathy Kruger show. In the end, the channel never got to see the light of day due to realignment strategies at Disney.

There is a chance that the channel will look for new suppliers perhaps in other regions but due to the climax of the pandemic that seems very unlikely.

When SABC 3 stopped airing Bold And The Beautiful. M-Net was looking into snatching the show for their channel but already had a packed schedule. The fact they considered the show just makes Eva redundant at this point.

M-Net could pick the show up now that The Kelly Clarkson Show moved to VUZU and the controversial talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show is on production break.

Since the pandemic which has been jeopardizing the release of new content especially movies. What if The Ellen DeGeneres Show ends at some point leaving The Kelly Clarkson Show to takeover on VUZU. This could be their chance to acquire the show like they originally intended.

Even though, M-Net can only be seen on the Premium package there's chances that either VUZU or one of the Mzansi channels would have supplied reruns to Bold and perhaps even takeover the show.

Even if DStv were to do away with Eva there is a chance that AMC International will look into continuing the brand through another platform like Starsat and StarTimes for starters regardless the fate of this channel looks vague I could be wrong but you never know as 2021 is shaping up to be an interesting year for TV.

Supa TV And Tellytrack Might Have More Competition As MultiChoice Is Part Owner Of BetKing

MultiChoice expanded its repertoire with an agreement to buy a 20% stake in Africa-focused sports-betting platform BetKing for as much as 1.8 billion rand, giving it access to a sector that’s emerged as a winner from lockdown restrictions that have encouraged homebound entertainment.

“Sports betting is an interesting market that is aligned to our Pay-TV business,” said Mawela. “We have a lot of sport on our platform, and many people that are betting watch more games.” he said. DSTV packages include live English soccer, while MultiChoice agreed to a deal with Walt Disney Co. earlier this year to add two ESPN channels showing U.S. pursuits such as basketball.

BetKing started in Nigeria and has shown rapid growth over the past two and a half years, according to the CEO. “They plan to be pan-African and will be entering South Africa at some stage too,” he said.

Limpopo TV Launches On OpenView This December???

Limpopo TV launched back in October as the province first commercial channel offering content that is created, delivered and produced by talent of the province.

The channel failed to materialize on other platforms as promised earlier in the year which angered a lot of potential fans and damaged a bit of the channel's image.

Through a media enquiry, OpenView denied the allegation made about the channel's launch on their platform. Now Limpopo TV started advertising their launch on OpenView this December.

Like I mentioned earlier, Limpopo TV hasn't started out on a good note and they're a tad unorganised on top of everything. If it does launch hopefully you'll see none of that.

OpenView and e.tv have also been lurking around that area as they've been silent with the media on upcoming attractions which led some media outlets to maintain some distance from the brand.

January 2021 On History Africa | Greatest Mysteries | Apocalypse | Secrets In

HISTORY’S GREATEST MYSTERIES
24 January - 28 February
Sundays from 19h25
Incredible discoveries are revealed on History’s Greatest Mysteries, a series hosted and narrated by Academy Award® nominee and Emmy Award® winner Laurence Fishburne. These include a 100+ year old box flled with the investgatve fndings of Lord Mersey, the man charged with leading the ofcial inquiry into the sinking of the Titanic and a personal diary from Major Jesse Marcel, the frst person to investgate the wreckage in Roswell, New Mexico - believed to contain coded clues to what really happened that night in 1947. In additon, for the frst tme, the family of John Wilkes Booth is releasing 60 boxes of sealed family documents and allowing a DNA test to be facilitated which may hold the answers to whether he truly died in a fre following the assassinaton of Abraham Lincoln or if he faked his death as many believe. History’s Greatest Mysteries investgates the greatest mysteries of the past, analysing evidence, following leads, and atemptng to make progress that could change history as we know it.

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HISTORY’S GREATEST MYSTERIES:
ROSWELL: FIRST WITNESS
24 January to 28 February
Sundays at 19h25
In July 1947, a mysterious object crashed near Roswell, New Mexico. The US military originally claimed it was a fying saucer but then changed their story. It became the biggest enigma in UFO history, and now 70 years later the family that started it all wants answers. History’s Greatest Mysteries: Roswell: First Witness follows the Marcel family - Jesse Marcel III, John Marcel, and Denise Marcel. They are the grandchildren of Major Jesse Marcel, the frst person to see the wreckage in 1947. Major Marcel, an air force intelligence ofcer, was dispatched to the Roswell wreckage site and transported the wreckage back to a military base (stopping to show it frst to his 12-year old son, Jesse Jr.). Both Marcels later said the craf was constructed from an unknown substance, like a liquid metal, with hieroglyphic-like markings on it. The family believes Major Marcel was forced by the U.S. government to deny he ever saw a UFO. They possess Major Marcel’s journal, believed to contain coded clues about the truth of what happened at Roswell and where alien wreckage might stll lie buried. This diary will be decoded for the frst tme on TV...

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HISTORY’S GREATEST MYSTERIES: TITANIC’S LOST EVIDENCE
24 January
Sunday at 20h15
For 107 years, a dust-covered box has remained hidden in a Britsh manor house, and may contain evidence that will rewrite the most famous maritme disaster in history. This box contains the personal notes of Lord Mersey, the respected Britsh jurist and politcian charged with investgatng the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. HISTORY has secured permission to open it – a frst in history. The box contains informaton about Titanic’s voyage including new context on fatal mistakes allegedly made by the captain and crew, and perhaps signs of a cover-up.

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HISTORY’S GREATEST MYSTERIES: ENDURANCE:
THE HUNT FOR SHACKLETON’S ICE SHIP
31 January
Sunday at 20h15
In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton led an expediton to Antarctca but soon afer arrival, Shackleton’s ship - The Endurance - was destroyed by shifing glaciers, and he was tasked with leading his 27 men across the frozen tundra, on an epic struggle for survival. Shackleton’s batle against the odds and his unfailing commitment to bring all his men out alive turned him into the legend that stll inspires today. Now, HISTORY follows a new ground-breaking expediton heading back into the frozen seas to hunt down the last piece of the story: Shackleton’s lost ship. The Endurance is as illustrious as the Titanic, yet it’s remained lost for over a hundred years. Its fnal restng ground is one of the greatest polar mysteries and a team of explorers and experts set out with the goal of being the frst to break through the ice and uncover the wreck site.

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HISTORY’S GREATEST MYSTERIES:
DB COOPER FINAL SHOWDOWN
07 February
Sunday at 20h15
With over 7,500 hours investgatng the D.B. Cooper mystery including analysing evidence, interviewing witnesses, reading 20,000+ pages of FBI case fles and exploring important locatons, top D.B. Cooper expert, Eric Ulis, believes that he’s found the true locaton where Cooper landed during his daring dive. Ulis has also assembled a team of specialists to explore the untouched Washington backcountry, federally restricted (wildlife refuge) land, to hunt for the missing evidence Cooper lef behind. Armed with new informaton, the team will travel to parts of Washington state that have never been searched atemptng to solve the only unsolved skyjacking in United States history.

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APOCALYPSE
EARTH
05 January – 09 February
Tuesdays at 20h15
Earth, air, water and fre are essental elements in life. But what happens when these natural elements turn on humanity? Apocalypse Earth will examine the catastrophic threat natural phenomena can pose to the US and around the world.

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SECRETS IN
THE ICE
29 January – 05 March
Fridays at 19h25
From a missing World War II aircraf to a frozen lake flled with human remains, take a look at how and why humans have become frozen in tme in Secrets In The Ice.